Systematic Review: Registration

Selected Books 

Systematic Review Registration

The registration of the systematic review adds transparency, decreases research duplication, reduces the publication and reporting bias in published protocols and reviews. Thus, the registration can contributed to an increase in the quality of the review and its use for the decision-making process.

The systematic review can be registered at the Cochrane Library, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Systematic Review Data Repository, PROSPERO, Evidence for Policy and Practice Information and Co-ordinating Centre (EPPI-Centre), The Campbell Collaboration, and other systematic review producing organizations (e..g., The U.S. Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF), Clinical Evidence, National Cancer Institutes Physician Data Query, Samueli Institute Systematic Review Program).  
 

Registration Organizations 

• Cochrane Library consists of the Cochrane Databases of Systematic Reviews (CDSR), Cochrane Central Register for Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Cochrane Methodology Register (CMR), Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE), Health Technology Assessment Database (HTA), and NHS Economic Evaluation Databases (EED). There are 53 Cochrane Review Groups with a specific topic focus. The research protocols are overseen by a Co-ordinating Editor(s) and an editorial team. The detailed information for author, which is displayed on the site, includes a description of the Cochrane Review Groups, information about the support offered, review registration, and editorial timeline and process. The training resources include online training, webinars, and links to a collection of essential review resources (e.g., Cochrane register of studies online, guidance and handbook, software, editorial checklists and forms, publishing policies, publicity and dissemination strategies, team working and collaboration online).

• PROSPERO is international prospective registered systematic review database maintained by University of York Dissemination Center for Reviews and Dissemination, National Institute for Health Research, UK. The database provides basic and advanced searching capacity. The systematic reviews can be registered at the PROSPERO.

• AHRQ Systematic Review Data Repository is used for the deposition of systematic review data and used for data extraction and management of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. The guide on governance and management policy for the systematic review data depository is described. 

• Evidence for Policy and Practice Information and Co-ordinating Centre (EPPI-Centre) is supported by the Social Science Research Unit at the University College London Institute of Education, UK. The center is focused on systematic reviews that address public health research. Various sets of tools (guidelines, data management tools, EPPI-Reviewer, teaching support, and other), methods (Introduction to Systematic Review), and databases (Database of Promoting Health Effectiveness Reviews, Trials Register of Promoting Health Interventions, Bibliomap, and other) are available to researchers in conducting systematic review.

• Open Science Framework Registry - open and free Open Science collaborative research platform (search, design study, collect and analyze data, and publish reports), share prints and pre-print, and register your research 

• Campbell Collaboration - free international social science network (policy relevant evidence syntheses, and other) 

Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDRS)

• The CDSR - systematic reviews, protocols for Cochrane Reviews, editorials, and supplements. These reviews are:
  • “Intervention reviews assess the benefits and harms of interventions used in healthcare and health policy.
  • Diagnostic test accuracy reviews assess how well a diagnostic test performs in diagnosing and detecting a particular disease.
  • Methodology reviews address issues relevant to how systematic reviews and clinical trials are conducted and reported.
  • Qualitative reviews synthesize qualitative evidence to address questions on aspects other than effectiveness.
  • Prognosis reviews address the probable course or future outcome(s) of people with a health problem."  
                                                                                   Excerpt from the Cochrane Library
     
• Cochrane Register of Studies Online (CRSO) – management tool designed for storing, maintaining and developing registers.
  The systematic review protocols can be registered at the Cochrane Register of Studies Online. The Archie and Review Manager (RevMan) online systems help researchers undertake the management of the review documentation, conduction, and assessment of selected studies. 
  • Tools and software: 
    • Archie is the Information Management System (online server) designed to manage authors’ data, documents, and reviews. Available freely to the Cochrane Review authors.
    • Review Manager (RevMan) – software used for management of Cochrane Reviews in preparation of the protocol and review. The software is licensed by the Cochrane Library for Windows and Mac OS X operating systems and freely available to the Cochrane registered authors.  For the registered authors, the Archie account is connected with RevMan. Technical support is also provided for registered authors.
    • GRADE – Grading or Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation method is used for quality assessment (risk of bias, inconsistency, indirectness, imprecision, publication bias, and other factors) of research evidence and its strengths in guidelines recommendation in healthcare.

For more information, books, and journals, browse DML Book Catalog, DML A-Z Journal Catalog, and DML Database Catalog. Consider also to schedule Consultation on finding associated resources on conducting a systematic review.